Sanskar's voice brought fresh tears in Swara's eyes. She opened her eyes to stare back in his fire glazing ones. Their faces were just inches apart and nose tips were almost touching to each other's.
His manly cologne relaxed her mind feeling secured. She started weeping badly.
Her sobbing's made him realise about their position. He removed his hold from her shoulders but kept on staring at her. He did not utter a single word but stayed there without any further movement.
Unknowingly Swara clutched his suit jacket in her fist. He saw her hold over his jacket and pushed his hands in his pant pockets which were aching to encircle around her petit figure.
'Beep' sound from his mobile broke his reverie. And he was back to his usual cold, arrogant mode.
"Are you done with your crying session?"
Swara opened her eyes hearing his rude remark. Her eyes fell over her hand which had clutched his jacket.
"So... Sorry Sir"
"You should be. After all it's your fault" He replied nonchalantly.
In a moment Swara's heart filled with anger. 'Male chauvinist. Every time it's our fault.'
"Sir, please excuse me. I am getting late." She turned to leave.
But Sanskar did not budge at her request.
"It's your fault that you did not kick his ass at his first attempt" Swara turned to look at him in puzzlement.
"What are you looking at me like this? If you don't explicitly declare your denial, what should one supposed to believe? Other one would take it as your acceptance. Ignorance... my foot. It doesn't work like that." He was furious.
"But how can I... he is my superior. My job is in his hands."
"Are you hearing yourself? At least, I would not have expected this from you when you are MY wife." Sanskar blurted out when his frustration reached to its peak.
Swara widened her eyes when his last two words hit her ear drum.
Her wide-open eyes made Sanskar realise the blunder he just did. He took a step back turning to other side.
"I... I mean... we... we have a contract so how will you lose your job?" he covered up fumbling.
"What if we did not have any contract? What if someone else was there other than me? Would you have supported? What would you have done in that case?" Swara questioned.
"Whatever one should raise their voices against any injustice else it haunts you becoming ulcer"
"For a person like you it's easy to say this. But it's not that simple for any girl like me who have so much burden on her shoulders."
"Wow and that's what we call it as woman empowerment. Cheers."
"You don't know how it works. We middle class people work hard every day. We save as much as we can because we don't have any legacy left behind by our ancestors. We can't even afford to be jobless even for one day. We have our families to look after."
"And for that you are ready to sacrifice your respect?" he cross questioned making her tongue tied.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care." Sanskar turned his back.
Swara turned to go out.
"Dare you leave alone. I am dropping you."
"No need. I can handle myself"
"Yes, I just had seen it very well. So, it's final. You are coming with me. No arguments."
Swara knew his stubborn nature very well. She was exhausted with today's events. She gave up and followed him till parking lot.
They both drove towards her apartment.
"Thank you, Sir," Swara whispered when they were on roads still looking outside of window.
"Say thanks to Granny, she will kill me if you get even a single scar."
Then there was deadly silence in the car.
"Management cannot take any action against Ryan unless and until there is valid reason. He is good at his professional work." Sanskar stopped car near her apartment.
"Do you want me to give you that reason?" Swara rebuked.
"It's your choice." He replied flatly. He took a pause for a moment. "Why do you need to depend on anyone? You are an educated girl. You can differentiate between right and wrong. One needs to fight their own battle. And I believe you are strong girl."
"But some battles left you with empty hands."
"Granny always says if you are fighting for the truth, and if you have belief on yourself. You will win that battle. Even if you lose everything in that battle but still your beliefs, your truth, your respect will earn the glory."
Swara kept on looking at his face which was staring at far.
'How much he is different from Nikhil?' It was for the first time she felt encouraged with his words.
"I will think about it" Swara passed small smile. "Once again thank you Sir."
Sanskar just nodded his head igniting the engine of his car.
'Even though he is stranger he supported me, encouraged me to fight, he cared for my respect... But Nikhil? No, he was never there when I needed him. I had make grave mistake in judging and trusting Nikhil. I thought he would cared for me, loved me but no. He was, and he is selfish. A person who can think about his own benefits only. Hey Kanhaji, what should I do now?' With all thoughts going over her mind she entered inside her apartment.
"Hi Swara. That was too late" Ayesha asked opening the door.
"Yes, some immediate changes were needed as we need to present PPT to board of directors" Swara replied slumming down on the nearby couch.
"Who dropped you?" Ayesha asked. She had seen Swara coming out of one car from their apartment window.
Her question alerted Swara.
"How do you know some one dropped me?" Swara used her words carefully.
"I saw you coming out from one car's passenger door"
"Yes... actually Brittany dropped me" Swara stammered while lying.
"Ohh! I didn't know Brittany has Black Porsche. Rich old lady" Ayesha winked rolling her eyes.
Next day Mike entered Sanskar's cabin for their daily updates.
"Sir, there is one complaint against Mr. Ryan Sorbey on workplace harassment ground" his words captured Sanskar's attention.
"I did not know Swara will file a complaint so early" unknowingly his lips stretched in small smile.
"Sir, how do you know Ms. Mehra is complainant. I did not..." Mike gulped looking at Sanskar's raised eyebrows.
"Who else know about it?"
"No one Sir. Since this complaint is against higher official it will be only known to you. What should be our next steps Sir."
"Keep complainant as anonymous but run a thorough check on him. Call for official meeting to discuss. But make sure Swara's name should never be uttered out. I need detailed report in a week." Mike took instructions.
Swara knocked on Sanskar's cabin door for her daily update.
"Yes, come in"
She entered to see Mike and Sanskar discussing so she waited for her turn.
Sanskar gave few more instructions to Mike about general office work and then Mike left.
"I heard someone filed complaint against Ryan on workplace harassment forum. I have asked Mike to investigate personally and update me. If we found anything wrong, he would be fired immediately" Sanskar pressed his lips typing something on his Mac post their updates discussions.
She stared at his face in amazement.
"I will make changes as we discussed. I am taking your leave Sir. Have a good day" Swara passed small smile before leaving from his cabin.
Sanskar looked at her retiring figure from corner eyes before focusing on his work once again.
"Swara did you work with this Ryan Sorbey? He is VP" Nancy asked during lunch hours. Within two days the news about someone filed a complaint against Ryan aired in the office.
"Yes, I used to work with him. But he mostly works with Brittany." Swara replied.
"But you know what after that complaint there is gossip that he had harassed lot of girls back in days. Some other girls are coming forward to complaint against him." Ella, her other lunch partner informed.
"Ohh really?" Swara masked her face with surprise look. She had already received first-hand information from Sanskar.
She felt thankful towards Sanskar to keep her name hidden while handling all this chaos.
"Do you think he will be fired?" Ayesha asked this time.
"How would I know?" Swara shrugged her shoulders.
"My dear Swara, you meet our handsome, sexy boss every day. Why don't you ask him directly?" Ella wiggled her eyebrows.
"Forget about that Ryan... Let's talk about our Greek god. How is he? You never talk about him?" Nancy twitched her nose.
"Every day you meet him, right? Can you please make my intro with him. Please dear I beg you. he is so sexy. His eyes... his cheekbones... his lips..." Ella slipped in her own dreamland.
"Ohh come on Ella. Please stop it. He is my... I mean he is our boss. We should be professional." Swara rebuked.
She did not like the way Ella described her contractual husband's facial features. She felt irritated with their talks.
"Come on Swara because of our talks he would not file harassment complaint against us dear. If he does then this entire organisation will only have all male employees" Nancy gave hi-fi to Ella.
Swara shook her head and dug inside her lunch box.
"You are fired Mr. Ryan Sorbey" HR informed him after two weeks of thorough investigation. In these two-weeks Mike got a greater number of complaints against his name which was enough for them to decide about his future.
"I need to know who complained against me?" Ryan asked fumingly.
"That's something we can't disclose. But we have enough proofs against you" HR director informed professionally.
Ryan was thrown out of the company on bitter note. He tried to find out about complainant, but he had no luck this time.
'I am going to find whoever she is and then will show her my true colours. Just wait and watch.'
Swara knocked and after receiving permission she entered inside. As usual they both discussed about the updates but for the first time Swara observed Sanskar being less interested in their discussions.
After their meeting she started leaving from his cabin when he called her from back.
"Swara, just wait" Swara turned to him. It was for the first time he had called her with her first name without any hatred or any rudeness. It was simple call which gave tingles to her heart for a moment.
"Yes Sir?"
"No... nothing. You can go"
"Ok Sir" Swara nodded and turned again.
"No wait"
She stared at him in confusion.
He gulped and rubbed his forehead in frustration
"Do you know how to make a knot for a tie?" he asked in one breath.
"Sorry"
"Do you know how to make a knot for a tie?" this time it was slow.
"Yes Sir" Swara shook her head.
"Stay here" Sanskar mentioned while entering inside his walk-in which was in his office cabin.
'Is he insane?' Swara remembered her Kanhaji.
"Make it then" he came out with tie strap.
"Sorry?" Swara was clear picture of puzzlement.
"You know how to make knot for tie so make it now. I am getting late for meeting" That moment Swara stared at his shirt collar which did not have any tie.
"Ok" She nodded and started making a knot keeping tie strap on his desk.
Sanskar kept tapping his feet standing in front of her.
"Done" Swara passed knot to him.
He took it to slid on his neck, but it got resolved. He gave it back to her. She again made it and then passed it.
"You said you know how to make knot then why this is resolving again and again" He passed the tie strap back to her.
"I know how to make it directly on the neck" Swara muttered rolling her eyes.
"Ok then make it here. I have meeting. I am getting late" he became frustrated.
"Sir?" She widened her eyes.
"What are you waiting for?"
She took one more step towards him. With shivering hands, she started making knot for his tie.
Sanskar could not take off his eyes from her scared face.
"I don't know how to make knot for tie. It always pissed me off. Mike generally do it, but he is off today." He did not even realise why he gave her explanations.
Swara raised her eyes to stare back in his dark browns.
"It's ok" She pressed her lips to supress her chuckle.
"Dare you talk about this to anyone" he was back to his rudeness.
'He is just a kid' Swara bit her lower lip blinking her eyelashes but shaking her head in denial.
*********************************************
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